Chapter 12 - THE SISTER’S REVELATION
The firefight was over in less than ninety seconds.
Valeria’s bodyguards neutralized the second intruder near the garden gate, while the gunman inside was pinned down and disarmed by Daniel and his team. Within minutes, the sirens of federal law enforcement were once again wailing in the distance.
Daniel sat on the kitchen floor, panting heavily, holding both Mateo and Sofía tightly against his chest. His suit was covered in dust and glass, his knee bleeding through his trousers.
"Are you okay? Are either of you hurt?" Daniel asked frantically, checking their arms and faces.
"We're okay, Dad," Mateo gasped, his face pale. "They... they were looking for a physical key. They said Rodrigo Alvarado sent them."
Daniel closed his eyes, a cold, lethal anger settling into his bones. Rodrigo had tried to stage a violent recovery of the evidence before it could be presented in court.
Valeria walked into the kitchen, holding her phone to her ear, her face grim. "Federal agents are ten minutes away, Daniel. I’ve already forwarded the board meeting audio to the State Prosecutor. Rodrigo Alvarado won't be able to leave his office building."
"It's not enough," Daniel said coldly, standing up with the help of the counter. "Rodrigo has political connections in Mexico City. He’ll post bail in three hours and scrub the bank accounts."
While they spoke, Sofía quietly walked toward the broken remains of the pantry room down the service hallway. She stopped at the doorway, looking at the exposed steel frame and the open safe inside.
"Dad?" her quiet voice drifted down the hall.
Daniel walked over to her, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "What is it, sweetie?"
Sofía pointed to a small, hidden floor board near the threshold of the pantry—a place beneath where the old oak door used to swing closed.
"When Lucía used to lock me in here..." Sofía said softly, her voice small, "I was scared of the dark. So I used to dig my nails into the floor near the corner."
Daniel crouched down beside her, his heart breaking afresh. "I know, baby. I saw the marks."
"No, Dad," Sofía said, shaking her head. "Not those marks. Underneath the floorboard. I found a tiny box wrapped in tape. Lucía hid it there before you came home from London. She didn't know I saw her."
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Daniel’s breath caught in his throat. He reached down, pulling out a pocket knife, and pried up the loosened piece of floor timber.
Deep inside the dark recess lay a small, heavy silver USB drive marked with a red corporate seal.
